(The Center Square) – Oklahoma Industries Authority recently swapped 577 acres of land with the Commissioners of the Land Office in Oklahoma City for economic development purposes.

Harve Allen, public relations manager at Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, told The Center Square that the land could provide an opportunity for industrial development and manufacturers of varying sizes to expand or relocate to that part of Oklahoma City. As the city grows, land zoned for industry with access to rail lines and highways becomes more scarce.

Cathy O'Connor, president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, Inc., told The Center Square that industries most likely to grow in the development zones are warehouses, distribution and manufacturing.

"Companies that locate on the site would have easy access to transportation infrastructure such as Interstates 35 and 240 as well as the Santa Fe rail yard," Allen said. "In addition, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer and the DOD’s largest aircraft maintenance and repair depot, is in close proximity, which could be an advantage for a company looking to do contract work with Tinker."

Allen said businesses that relocate to the area may also receive various state and local incentives given to companies that make certain promises or meet certain performance objectives.

"For instance, a company might receive various cash rebates and state tax credits through the state’s Quality Jobs Program," Allen said. "Oklahoma City also can provide its own performance-based incentive through its Strategic Investment Program, a discretionary fund modeled after the state’s Quality Jobs Program that provides companies with cash payments based on newly created jobs within Oklahoma City."

To obtain the land, the City Council used general obligation limited tax bonds to purchase property along Interstate 240 between Eastern and Bryant Avenues to make the swap.

"Now that the city owns the property, it will be easier to highlight and promote the site to potential companies," Allen said. "The property also has access to city water, sewage, electricity and gas, which will help make it even more marketable going forward."

The COVID-19 pandemic set off an economic crisis that pushed the U.S. unemployment rate to levels that rivaled the highs of the Great Depression. Fortunately, the recovery has been relatively rapid, and weekly initial unemployment claims in the United States have been below half a million since early May 2021. The last time they were below that threshold was in March 2020, when President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for COVID-19.

Whether brought about by a pandemic or not, unemployment is never desirable. However, in some states, conditions are more favorable for those who are out of work than in others. The quality of the labor market and strength of the social safety net, as well as the current speed of labor market recovery, are all factors that vary from state to state.

Based on an index of these factors, Oklahoma ranks as the sixth best place to be unemployed. Due in part to expanded eligibility during the pandemic, the share of the unemployed population receiving benefits in Oklahoma increased from 24.0% in 2019 to 71.6% in 2020. Meanwhile, the national 2020 recipiency rate stands at 77.6%, up from 27.7% the previous year. It is important to note that in some states, perhaps also due to expanded eligibility, the average number of people who received UI benefits in 2020 exceeds the average number of people who were unemployed over the course of the year.

The average weekly unemployment benefit payout in Oklahoma -- not including the additional federal benefits that were added during the pandemic -- totaled $348 in 2020, enough to cover 49.3% of the average weekly working wage in the state. For context, the average payout nationwide was $321 per week in 2020, or 38.3% of the average weekly wage.

Over the course of the past year, the job market has been gaining momentum and overall employment nationwide climbed 13.4% between April 2020 and April 2021. In Oklahoma, job gains were slower, as overall employment increased by 12.8% over the same period. Currently, the monthly jobless rate in Oklahoma stands at 4.3%, lower than the April 2021 national unemployment rate of 6.1%.

The index used to create this ranking incorporates four measures: unemployment benefit recipiency (the share of unemployed receiving UI), average weekly unemployment payments as a share of average wages, one-year employment growth, and the April unemployment rate. All data used in this ranking is from the U.S. Department of Labor. These are the best and worst states to be unemployed.

RankStateAvg. share of employed pop. with unemployment benefits; 2020 (%)Avg. weekly benefit payoutApril 2021 unemployment (%)1-yr. employment growth (%)1Vermont134.54282.90.72Georgia120.92624.313.43Minnesota107.83874.15.84Iowa91.33673.83.75Maine107.03234.87.96Oklahoma71.63484.312.87Nevada87.93728.035.98New Hampshire66.22742.819.29Montana80.83223.77.110Michigan79.63084.927.611Massachusetts96.24096.522.912Kansas67.33753.512.113North Dakota76.64444.23.114Utah55.83872.89.015Hawaii95.94558.519.416Idaho47.63203.112.517Wisconsin76.83063.913.318Ohio61.13304.718.619Oregon84.03686.014.320Nebraska61.33052.81.721Kentucky78.03064.79.322South Dakota42.43222.87.223Indiana63.52363.919.624Alabama56.42423.613.425Washington74.14885.59.526Pennsylvania86.63527.411.027Missouri58.72454.112.928Rhode Island79.33276.312.129South Carolina73.12465.08.530Mississippi79.81876.217.031West Virginia68.72725.815.632Arkansas63.02424.45.533Tennessee56.62185.017.934New York104.13448.217.435Texas66.53716.712.436New Jersey71.64097.59.537Colorado59.94026.414.238Florida44.92344.816.139Virginia69.82774.73.440Delaware69.72516.411.541North Carolina44.02345.017.442Maryland63.13206.22.643Wyoming50.34185.41.944New Mexico72.03188.27.245California95.63088.311.246Illinois66.43047.113.547Alaska87.62526.77.448Louisiana94.61887.38.349Connecticut98.73128.1-4.150Arizona47.12366.710.5

The U.S. population grew by just 0.35% between July 2019 and July 2020, the smallest annual growth rate in well over a century. Driven in part by restrictions on immigration and a declining birth rate, stagnant population growth may have profound and far reaching consequences -- including reduced economic growth, stagnanting home values, and fewer workers to support an aging population.

This trend is by no means unique to last year. Over the past decade, cities and towns across the country have reported rapid population decline.

The city of Watonga has the fastest shrinking population in Oklahoma, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Currently home to an estimated 2,880 people, Watonga's population declined by 43.9% from 2010 to 2019. Meanwhile, Oklahoma's population expanded by 7.0% over the same period.

While declining immigration and falling birth rates largely explain the national slowdown in population growth, at the local level, these factors are compounded by residents moving out. An estimated 40 million Americans move each year, and one of the most common reasons is for improved economic opportunity.

Outbound migration from Watonga may be due in part to lower than average incomes in the area. The typical area household earns $42,771 a year, while most households across Oklahoma earn at least $52,919.

All data in this story are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. All cities, towns, villages, boroughs, and census designated places with populations of at least 1,000 and where the margin of error for the population was less than 10% were considered. This is the fastest shrinking place in every state.

PlacePop. change, 2010 to 2019State pop. change, 2010 to 2019Total population, 2010Total population, 2019Alabama: Forestdale-17.5%+3.5%10,8118,924Alaska: Big Lake-17.6%+6.6%3,2502,678Arizona: San Carlos-19.4%+12.9%5,5234,451Arkansas: Brinkley-17.5%+4.4%3,3242,742California: Willowbrook-35.1%+7.2%35,17422,811Colorado: Lincoln Park-21.9%+14.8%4,2043,283Connecticut: Putnam-11.9%+0.8%7,5056,615Delaware: Glasgow-8.2%+8.6%15,64814,359Florida: Siesta Key-15.2%+12.9%6,5735,573Georgia: Druid Hills-42.7%+9.9%14,6038,365Hawaii: Waimanalo Beach-11.9%+6.6%4,6294,076Idaho: Mountain Home AFB-16.7%+12.5%3,6133,009Illinois: Cairo-28.5%+0.2%2,9632,120Indiana: Dunkirk-17.0%+3.9%2,4372,022Iowa: Sac City-12.8%+4.1%2,2942,001Kansas: Oswego-21.4%+3.6%2,1331,676Kentucky: Fort Knox-27.1%+3.8%11,9338,695Louisiana: Norco-15.6%+5.3%3,3752,850Maine: Winslow-37.0%+0.6%7,8234,928Maryland: Sykesville-11.6%+5.7%4,4543,939Massachusetts: Oxford-12.2%+5.8%6,3735,595Michigan: Beecher-23.7%+0.1%11,8429,041Minnesota: Appleton-35.2%+6.1%2,1781,412Mississippi: Winona-17.2%+1.4%5,1054,227Missouri: Spanish Lake-19.8%+3.1%21,80317,485Montana: Malmstrom AFB-13.3%+7.9%4,8204,179Nebraska: Franklin-13.5%+6.4%1,1921,031Nevada: Hawthorne-26.2%+12.9%3,6402,686New Hampshire: Derry-4.7%+2.6%22,88421,817New Jersey: Avalon-26.5%+1.8%1,9141,406New Mexico: Zuni Pueblo-26.5%+3.9%9,5277,001New York: South Nyack-39.0%+1.8%5,5483,387North Carolina: James City-14.1%+10.7%6,2365,354North Dakota: Bottineau-14.4%+14.7%2,4452,094Ohio: Wheelersburg-14.3%+1.2%7,0996,082Oklahoma: Watonga-43.9%+7.0%5,1392,881Oregon: Roseburg North-26.9%+9.8%6,9195,059Pennsylvania: Bellwood-21.0%+1.4%2,0471,618Rhode Island: Warwick-3.2%+0.1%83,67680,993South Carolina: Allendale-17.0%+11.3%3,6263,009South Dakota: Fort Thompson-13.5%+8.9%1,4281,235Tennessee: Belle Meade-21.1%+7.6%2,8912,280Texas: San Elizario-36.1%+16.2%14,2779,126Utah: Price-2.5%+16.5%8,4738,265Vermont: St. Johnsbury-12.7%+0.0%6,7225,865Virginia: Mason Neck-11.5%+7.8%2,2451,986Washington: Fairchild AFB-19.8%+12.8%4,1593,336West Virginia: Nitro-15.3%-1.3%7,0835,997Wisconsin: Nashotah-21.5%+2.7%1,5531,219Wyoming: Warren AFB-15.0%+6.5%2,8882,456

(The College Fix) – A bronze statue of three women huddled together talking has been removed from its highly visible location on the University of Oklahoma quad.

The statue, called “The Gossips,” had been a gift from former OU president and Democratic politician David Boren. It was installed in 2007.

But more recently, it apparently offended or upset members of the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues, whose members played a “key role” in its relocation, the OU Daily reports.

“While the advisory committee’s current board has not made a statement as to why the statue was removed from its regular location, a university spokesperson wrote in an email that they removed the statue based on requests from OU community members, alumni and at the appeal of the advisory’s committee,” the student newspaper reported.

“…The spokesperson wrote that the university plans to replace the art with a piece that ‘celebrates women.'”

Not everyone seems to agree with the decision.

“Wow – that piece was celebrating social circles, community, solidarity amongst women and sisterhood. I think whoever was ‘offended’ needs to look past the ‘gossip’ title,” tweeted one observer.

According to the university’s website, the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Issues promotes its cause by “attending to issues of concern to women,” “celebrating the accomplishments of women at OU,” and “communicating and collaborating with other groups concerned about gender and diversity at OU.”

For more of this story, visit The College Fix.

(The Center Square) – A coalition of 16 states is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to not reinstate a waiver allowing California to implement its own carbon emissions standards that essentially regulate the automotive industry for the rest of the U.S.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined a coalition led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, which also includes attorneys general from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

Under the Clean Air Act, the Trump administration created national standards for vehicle carbon emissions for model years 2021 through 2026. The policy revoked a waiver previously granted to California in order to treat all states as equal sovereigns subject to one federal rule, the attorneys general explain in their 12-page letter.

The waiver falls under Section 209 of the Clean Air Act first enacted in 1967. It preempts states from setting emissions standards for new cars and new engines, with two exceptions. It allows California – and only California – to set emissions standards that are more stringent than those adopted by the federal government, and it allows states with air quality below federal standards to adopt an emissions standard “identical to the California standards.”

As a result, 49 states may depart from the federal standard if and only if they adopt “a standard identical to an existing California standard.”

The Biden administration has proposed that California’s waiver be reinstated. It was initially created decades ago to allow California to manage its severe smog problem. Instead, the attorneys general argue, the waiver has been “abused by California to target fuel efficiency and global warming” regulations.

In the letter, they argue, “By allowing California and only California to retain a portion of its sovereign authority that the Clean Air Act takes from other States, [the waiver] is unconstitutional and thus unenforceable. Any waiver granted to California is thus ‘repugnant to the constitution’ and ‘void.’ In our union of equally sovereign States, the Golden State is not a golden child.”

Texas Attorney General Paxton asked, “Under the U.S. Constitution, it clearly explains that all States are created equal, so why does ‘the Golden State’ get the unconstitutional authority to change how vehicle manufacturers set standards for their vehicles?

“A federal law giving one state special power to regulate a major national industry contradicts the notion of a union of sovereign states,” he argues.

Yost notes that giving California special treatment “will have concrete negative effects in other States, especially Ohioans. Allowing California to set carbon-emission standards requires vehicle manufacturers to make changes to the entire vehicle.”

Given the choice between creating two separate vehicle fleets, one to comply with California, and another for 49 states, manufacturers “have no real choice at all,” he argues. Opting out of the California automobile market and losing significant income, or manufacturing vehicles that aren’t governed by Ohio’s standards or the federal government’s standards but rather by California’s standards, appear to be car manufacturers’ only options, the states argue.

The consequence of the waiver “not only offends the Constitution,” Yost argues, but “makes bad policy. The annual household income for a family in Ohio is almost $19,000 less than the annual income for a family in California. Ohioans may not be able to afford drastic changes mandated by California, leading Ohioans to drive older vehicles for longer and exacerbating the problem California believes it is solving.

“Ohio and California have different key industries, different commuting patterns, and different access to alternative fuel stations,” he adds. “It makes no sense to let California regulate Ohio’s vehicles. While Ohio ceded some of its sovereignty to the Federal government in joining the Union, at no point has Ohio ceded its sovereignty to California, which is precisely what granting California a waiver would amount to.”

The California Air Resources Board states that the EPA has granted California waivers for decades because “California’s standards are at least as protective as federal standards, and that the state’s determination of that fact was not arbitrary and capricious; are needed to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions; and are not inconsistent with certain Clean Air Act provisions related to technical feasibility and lead time to manufacturers.”

According to the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law, from 1967 to 2018, the EPA granted more than 50 waivers for California alone, fully denied one in 1980, which was subsequently reversed, and revoked zero.

About one in 10 Americans, or 34.2 million people, live with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data through 2018. And one in three people in the country -- or 88 million adults -- have prediabetes, which is higher than normal blood sugar level that can turn into diabetes if left untreated.

There are three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational. People with Type 1 diabetes, comprising about 5%-10% of diabetes cases, make very little or no insulin -- a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels in the body. People with Type 2 diabetes, comprising the majority of cases, may produce insulin but don't use it well. The third type, gestational diabetes, develops in pregnant women and usually disappears after childbirth.

New cases of Type 2 diabetes have been skyrocketing among young people, and the overall rates of the chronic condition have been on the rise in every state over the last several years.

Oklahoma is the state with the 15th largest increase in diabetes diagnosed in people over 20 between 2008 and 2017. In 2008, 9.6% of adults had diabetes, the 11th highest prevalence rate of all states. In 2017, the share of adults 20 and over with diabetes rose to 12.3%, the 9th highest rate.

Several factors may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The ones that cannot be controlled are age and family history. Those that can be controlled include a sedentary lifestyle and a healthy diet. Obesity is a leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and severe obesity trends have generally increased over the past decade. In Oklahoma, specifically, the adult obesity rate in 2008 was 30.2%, the 9th highest rate of all states. Almost a decade later, in 2017, 34.5% of adults in Oklahoma were obese, the 7th highest rate.

To determine the states with the highest increase in people with diabetes in a decade, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2011 and 2021 diabetes data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program. The data released in the 2011 and 2021 reports are for years 2008 and 2017, respectively. This is how much diabetes has risen in every state in a decade.

StateDiabetes prevalence in 2008Diabetes prevalence in 2017Adult obesity rate in 2008Adult obesity rate in 2017Massachusetts8.4%8.7%22.9%25.0%Utah6.6%7.5%24.2%27.0%Idaho8.3%9.3%25.6%29.0%New Jersey8.9%9.9%24.0%27.0%Florida9.5%10.8%24.4%27.2%Maryland9.8%11.1%27.3%31.6%Connecticut7.7%9.2%22.3%26.3%California7.2%8.8%22.8%24.3%New Hampshire8.0%9.6%25.7%28.6%Maine8.8%10.4%26.0%29.8%Tennessee10.9%12.5%31.2%33.3%Louisiana11.4%13.0%31.5%36.3%Mississippi12.9%14.6%34.3%39.1%Montana7.2%8.9%23.3%27.1%Colorado4.8%6.6%18.7%22.4%Wyoming7.2%9.0%25.0%29.2%Washington7.5%9.3%26.6%28.6%North Dakota7.6%9.4%28.2%33.9%Arizona7.8%9.6%23.8%27.9%Oregon7.9%9.7%25.1%29.3%Michigan9.2%11.0%30.6%32.4%Vermont6.9%8.8%22.9%27.0%Alaska6.4%8.3%27.9%31.9%North Carolina9.5%11.5%28.7%32.3%South Carolina11.3%13.3%30.0%34.0%Wisconsin7.4%9.5%28.2%31.7%Rhode Island8.0%10.1%24.0%28.5%Kentucky10.6%12.7%31.2%34.6%New York7.9%10.1%24.5%26.4%Nevada8.1%10.5%25.4%27.1%Ohio9.8%12.2%29.5%33.5%Pennsylvania8.6%11.0%28.1%30.8%Delaware9.2%11.8%28.5%32.4%Indiana9.5%12.1%29.7%33.9%Alabama11.9%14.5%31.9%36.1%Oklahoma9.6%12.3%30.2%34.5%South Dakota7.4%10.1%28.6%32.4%West Virginia12.3%15.1%31.5%37.8%Minnesota5.7%8.5%26.2%29.0%Illinois7.1%9.9%26.3%29.7%New Mexico6.6%9.5%22.9%27.3%Kansas7.6%10.5%29.0%33.0%Virginia7.8%10.7%26.9%30.5%Hawaii8.2%11.1%21.2%24.6%Nebraska6.9%10.0%28.5%33.4%Iowa6.5%9.9%28.1%34.3%Missouri8.0%11.4%30.1%32.5%Arkansas10.0%13.5%30.3%35.0%Texas6.5%10.2%27.0%31.4%Georgia8.3%12.0%28.1%32.3%

(The Center Square) – Oklahomans who have gone back to work since the COVID-19 pandemic could be eligible for a $1,200 back-to-work incentive.

"Oklahoma businesses were hit extremely hard by the pandemic and eventually faced an unprecedented labor shortage," Shelley Zumwalt, executive director of Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, told The Center Square. "When the return-to-work incentive was announced in late May, there were nearly 200,000 employable Oklahomans who had not returned to the workforce."

Despite this, many industries were able to hire only 50% of the workforce needed to run their businesses. Zumwalt said the state determined that the labor shortage was created by supplemental federal unemployment benefits which, many times, resulted in a greater payout than workers' previous wages.

The National Federation of Independent Business' (NFIB) latest monthly jobs report shows 46% of small business owners across the country have positions they can't fill.

"We believe the incentive can help people who haven't returned to work because they're caring for young children or older family members," Jerrod Shouse, NFIB Oklahoma state director, told The Center Square. "It's too soon to know what impact ending the federal unemployment supplement is having, but we're hopeful it will encourage more people to re-enter the workforce."

To qualify, Oklahomans need to have left an unemployment insurance program and to have worked six consecutive weeks of either one full-time or two part-time positions of 32 hours or more. Pay stubs will need to be submitted through the portal. The system will give immediate feedback about qualifying or if there are errors within the application.

The duration of the program is through Sept. 4, or until 20,000 people have received the incentive, whichever comes first.

Supplemental unemployment insurance in Oklahoma ended June 27.

"The state is focused on doing what is best for Oklahomans," Zumwalt said. "As we emerge from the pandemic, it is important we continue to focus on building back our economy and doing what we can to get Oklahomans back to work, which is good for all Oklahomans."

(The Center Square) – State Rep. Carol Bush, R-Tulsa, has requested an interim study so the Oklahoma House of Representatives can consider reforms to the Oklahoma Residential Landlord Tenant Act.

The study is being considered as remaining eviction moratoriums from the COVID-19 pandemic come to an end and both landlords and tenants find themselves in difficult situations. The hope is that the review and subsequent changes will help strengthen the rental market for landlords and provide fair policies for renters aimed at preventing homelessness.

"The operational and financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of proactive communication for all rental housing stakeholders – we all operate under the common goal of keeping people housed," Keri Cooper, executive director of the Tulsa Apartment Association, and Karey Landers, executive director of the Apartment Association of Central Oklahoma, told The Center Square in a joint statement. "To ensure the needs of renters and rental housing providers are represented in the law, it is critical that all stakeholders have a seat at the table for the interim study and that rental housing providers continue to have the ability to efficiently manage their communities."

Changes to the 1978 law over the years have included adding protections against discrimination for having a guide dog, extending that protection to all assistance animals, adding mobile homes, and requiring landlords to disclose past methamphetamine manufacturing.

"Anytime the Oklahoma Residential Landlord Tenant Act is examined it is an opportunity to benefit our state’s renters and rental housing providers, and we look forward to House Speaker Charles McCall’s decision on an interim study examining the law later this month," Cooper and Landers said. "We look forward to participating in an exchange of ideas to help Oklahoma’s rental housing providers and renters alike."

(The Center Square) – Oklahoma increased state aid to public schools to $3.1 billion this year, activating a law that limits class sizes for kindergarten and first grade, but many districts may be exempted.

"Overcrowded classrooms are a very visual symptom of long-running budget issues in Oklahoma," Katherine Bishop, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, told The Center Square. "We had 10 years of cuts to the education budget prior to 2018. Since then, the legislature has increased education funding. And, fortunately, this year we reached a level of state revenue that kicks in a required class limit of no more than 20 students in kindergarten and first grade classrooms."

The exemption occurs when a district is at 85% bonded indebtedness. Statistics show that during the 2020-21 school year, nearly 20% of the state's districts would have been exempt from these limits because they had reached or exceeded their bonding capacity, according to the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Many of these were some of the state's largest districts.

Parents have expressed concern about overcrowded classrooms. Those who have done so may not get their wish.

“Lower class sizes give students more one-on-one attention from the teacher and make both teaching and learning not only much easier but also more dynamic," Bishop said. "If you ask any parent what makes a great school, small class sizes will always be at the top.”

Student safety in large classes is a concern, Bishop said.

“Teachers always put student safety first, regardless of class sizes," Bishop said. "Sometimes, that means the students are short-changed. For instance, it’s not always safe for a chemistry class of 45 high schoolers to all try and complete labs at the same time. Those teachers have to find ways to teach the same material in ways less than optimal.””

(The Center Square) – Governors from 15 states are sounding the alarm over an executive order issued by President Joe Biden tasking his administration to “conserve” 30% of all land and water in the U.S. by 2030.

Known as the “30 x 30 plan,” the directive is part of a United Nations Agenda 2030 land and sustainable development goal, which directs nations to conserve land and water to combat climate change.

Biden refers to the policy as part of the United State’s acceptance of rejoining the Paris Agreement, a deal former President Donald Trump pulled out of.

The United Nations goal is to globally “get to a 2° C stabilization pathway and deliver climate-change resilient landscapes” by conserving land and water usage. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification argues by conserving land and water the remaining emissions gap could be closed by up to 25% and reduce the risks posed by climate change. The best way to do this, according to the plan, is for governments to control land, not private landowners.

Biden’s executive order, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” involves a multi-federal agency approach.

Currently, the Biden administration considers roughly 12% of land and water in the U.S. to be “in conservation.” It includes wilderness lands, national parks, national wildlife refuges, state parks, national monuments, and private lands with permanent conservation easements. More than doubling this acreage to 30% is equivalent to “conserving” the geographical size of Nebraska every year for nine years, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, argues.

Ricketts leads a group of Republican governors from the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah in opposition to the plan.

“We are deeply concerned about any effort to enlarge the federal estate or further restrict the use of public lands in our states,” they write. Biden’s plan would not only infringe on the private property rights of their residents but also significantly harm their economies, they argue.

It’s the states’ duty and prerogative “to manage their own lands and waters for the well-being of their citizens – free from federal interference,” they write. “It is precisely because we depend on our lands to be available for future generations to enjoy and use [that], without greater input into this initiative, we must resist implementation of the 30 x 30 program.”

They argue no constitutional or statutory authority of the president or federal agencies exists to set aside and permanently conserve 30% of all land and water in the United States.

“Nowhere in the laws of our nation is the authority delegated by Congress to the President or executive agencies to unilaterally change the policies governing land use in America,” they write.

The governors asked Biden to answer 12 specific questions, to which they have not received a reply.

Ricketts signed his own executive order banning Nebraska from supporting federal conservation programs without the governor’s express authorization.

While the Biden administration has not released more details about the plan, the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Council on Environmental Quality published a preliminary report outlining a way to implement it.

“I don’t believe that the federal government is going to try to come out and just take land, through eminent domain, for example,” Ricketts said. “I believe the way they’re going to try and cover these goals is by creating more ways that they can regulate you and take your private property rights away.”

However, he also said, “Either they’re going to fail to get to 30 percent, or they’re not telling us something else about how they’re going to get to 30 percent.”

U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, argues Biden’s “land grab” won’t stop with 30% of land and water in nine years because a proposal submitted by the Center for American Progress in 2019 called for “conserving” 50% of all U.S. land and water by 2050.

“The federal government already has 111 million acres locked up in wilderness status and owns more than 640 million acres, so where will it get the 681 million additional acres proponents say are necessary to lock up 30% of the country’s land and waters in the next nine years?” she asks. “The Biden administration has explicitly stated that private property is not exempt from the 30 x 30 initiative.”

Boebert added that the federal government would take private property using eminent domain as it already has in her district. More than 55% of her congressional district is federal land, and that keeps expanding, she argues. In response to Biden’s plan, Boebert introduced the “30 x 30 Termination Act” in Congress to prevent private land from being seized by the federal government.

“America was founded on private property rights, but the 30 x 30 program relies on the false assumption that private property owners don’t know how to manage their land responsibly," Boebert said. "Instead, it proposes that we be beholden to the administrative state to govern the land that’s America’s lifeblood.”